Hanging in the balance
by Blackness
Summary: Somehing has happened to all of B Squad except Z. They all turn on Z. Z needs to find out what happened and how to fix it or can she........Slight adult theme in first chapter
1. Turning on your own

The Gym

There was a dramatic change in the atmosphere as Z fell. Force fields appeared around the others. Her body disappeared. The Rangers turned and saw Sam, his hand out stretched before glaring at them then running off to the lab were Z appeared on the floor. Kat looked startled at the appearance of a cadet's body on the floor them Sam burst in.

"She was laying on the gym floor and the others were doing nothing, I was meant to take her to sick bay"

Kat lifted Z's limp form and carried to the sick bay.

The doctor was off at the moment so Kat looked over her.

"She's got some terrible bruises, and marks like she's been punched and dare I say strangled, theirs a ring round her neck. As well as hand prints Good work Sam, she breathing at the moment, go and inform the commander of what happened, he needs to speak to B Squad"

"Will she…"

"I hope so, she's breathing. It might take a while."

In the Command Centre

"Cadet Delgado has been rushed into medical suffering from a concussion, she has no permanent damage at the moment, however there is evidence of strangulation and bruising on her body, can anyone explain it?"

Sir, She's been depressed for a while, she hurts herself when she's depressed, I caught her the other day, why else do you think she has been wearing a roll neck that covers her neck. The bruises could be from battle"

"You seem certain"

"I am"

"Jack has she done this before?"

"Yea when she gets don, she self harms, we didn't want to tell anyone, well she didn't"

"She's in recovery, would you like to go and see her?"

"We'll see her when she's awake, we still have training to complete sir"

"Dismissed!"

Cruger was thinking, they did not want to see her, highly unusual, with what happened when the others were in the hospital. Z harming herself, doesn't make sense. He thought about it.

"Sir, I think you'd better come here" Kat called

He went to medical.

"Her temperatures far too high and I am having trouble getting it down"

"Hmmm Kat do you know anything about Z self harming?"

"No, your kidding me?"

"Syd seems to think not"

"Sir that's illogical from this she was attacked, the CCTV footage in the gym"

"Maybe that has what happened, I'll check it out"

He looked at the footage, unfortunately it had not recorded, it was down. HE didn't know what had happened in the gym, but he would find out when Z awoke. He went to see her, out of all the cadets, he had grown more protective of her since saving her life all those years ago. He had got on well with her mother. She was very much like her. He watched the rise and fall of Z's chest and noted the drip. She started to stir, but didn't wake mumbling. He carefully lent over her

"No, No I've done nothing, stop it, stop it" she thrashed before settling down into a deep sleep. Kat came over,

"That's the second time she's done that sir, what do you think it means?"

"I don't know, when she awakes I am tempted to get psyche down here to check her over"

"You could but I think that's unwise, maybe we should talk to her first, she is more likely to open up to us than a stranger."

"We shall then" He left.

Kat pushed some absent strands of hair away from her face, and got a damp cloth to keep her temperature down.

Z awoke 24 hours later, still drowsy

"Hey sleeping beauty, your back"

"Yea, my head…throat hurts"

"OK I'll tell the commander"

The commander arrived

"Glad to see you are better"

"Thank you sir"

"We need to talk about what happened in the gym the other day"

"I don't know, I was sparring with the guys…and that's the last thing I remember"

"Her full memory may take a while sir"

"We do not know what's happened as the CCTV was damaged, how have you been feeling recently?"

"Kinda tired but other than that ok, guess I've been pushing myself to hard"

"The others are concerned for your health"

"Were are they?"

"On patrol, they will be back soon"

"OK, I'm surprised they are not here"

"Do you feel disturbed or distressed recently? Ill?"

"No sir, except tiredness I have been fine"

"Jack told us about your mental health"

"Pardon sir"

"This really isn't a good time sir" Kat intervened "These questions are inappropriate"

"Sir, with all due respect I have no idea what you are talking about"

"Thank You cadet Delgado, I will send the others up when they come"

Z looked puzzled and Kat looked annoyed. The guys came back, Z was ok. Bridge reassuringly took her hand, and suddenly she pulled it back quick. Kat noted this,

"Z are you alright?"

"Don't touch me, any of you" she said about to stand, her eyes darted round the room in panic until she met Kat's then she relaxed, Kat noticed this.

"Kat I think she's disturbed"

"You'd better leave guys, I think she needs a break"

They left saying they would visit some other time. Z looked at Kat

"What happened?"

"Bridge held my hand, it felt kinda familiar, and then I had a flashback that he attacked me in the gym"

"Z are you sure"

"Yes"

The commander appeared with a doctor to talk to Z.


	2. Flash Back : The Unexplained

**Flash Back**

Z had, had hard morning training. She seemed to have the cadets that could not do anything right, the misunderstood cadets of the academy. She was exhausted and saw the guys in the mess hall. She went over to the machine to get her lunch. It was replicated. Little did she or the other rangers know what was in it or what it would do to them. Z sat at the table, the others had started eating and the alarm went off. Z sighed having to leave her food untouched, Boom appeared,

"Hey Z, can I eat you Mac and cheese, they have run out"

"Well I won't be eating it, sure"

She moved out the door quickly, pulling the lucazade out of her pocket. She crammed it in as she ran out the centre.

**During the battle.**

"I'll take you down! I'll get you good!" Said Jack

"Hey I'm gonna take him down" said sky

"No me, I'm the best!" Jack

"No me" Jack and Sky got into an argument ignoring the krybots. Z sighed, aiming a blow and took the krybots down quickly and smoothly. Bridge and Syd started fighting the krybots but then started fighting each other. Z looked confused. She took on more krybots on her own and she had had enough.

"Hey guys, a little help?"

No one answered. Z took a few more krybots down before the Orange head appeared.

"Guys quit fighting and start helping! Fight the enemy, not yourselves"

She tackled the orange head. She knew she had little chance alone. She was thrown hard to the ground, slamming into a bin that fell on her. No one check she was Ok, or even seemd to have noticed her laying momentarily stunned.The guys then started to attack, it was random with no patternand they were all attacking from different angles, they were at least working together slightly Zthought. Z had demorphed. The last blow throwing her off balance.

She pulled herself up from the debris shakily. She morphed with them. Then joined them. They were fighting the orangehead, and then they started fighting amongst themselves. The orange head took great delight in this, after being told this would happen and went in search for the mystery component that would help Grumm win this battle. Z bombarded him with attacks, but owing to the little energy she had, lack of food and a bad nights sleep she was quickly thrown to the ground. The orange head grabbed the device before blasting the rangers including Z to the ground and escaped. Z looked at her arms as she demorphed, and hoped nothing was broken. She shakily got to her feet, as did the rest of the rangers. They all left to go back to head quarters and Z was driving with Syd.

"You know you could have done better" Syd said

"What about you" Z returned "You were fightinh"

"Well hello Sky made his move at the time I did, he wanted all the glory of defeating the orangehead, like Jack and Bridge"

"Syd whats up? Your really moody"

"I'm tired" Syd replied

Z looked at Syd confused. She let it drop.

**Arriving back at Base, they went to the command centre.**

"What happened Cadets?" Cruger demanded

"We let you down sir, we're sorry"

"You were fighting amongst yourself, leaving cadet Delgado to do most of the fighting. Are you alright Cadet?"

Cruger had noticed Z's weary face, bruising on her cheek and her posture slouched. She also appeared in a world of her own, she seemed to snap back when he spoke to her

"I will be sir"

"Good, now the rest of you, I want circuit training round the gym 100 times. This is a warning cadets, I don't know what's going on but get it sorted, Cadet Delgado, unless of an emergency, you have the rest of the day off, Dismissed!"

They saluted then left, grumbling. Z headed off in there direction then disappeared into the common room, flopping down on the sofa.

20 Minutes later Sam appeared.

"Z can you help me in the gym, I need to work on anew move and well could you help?" Sam's eyes looked wide and Z couldn't refuse.

"I can help, for a while"

"I'll meet you in the gym, I just need to get a t-shirt to wear"

"OK"

Z walked to the gym. She got inside. The B squad were still running laps, they all stopped when they saw her, and advanced towards her angrily…….


End file.
